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Document 1 of 1 An examination of consumer browsing behaviors Author: Xia, Lan ProQuest document link Abstract: Browsing is a common consumer behavior, but it has not been researched extensively. The aim of thispaper is to fill some of the gaps in the research. Drawing on literature from different areas, consumers' browsingexperiences, browsing patterns, and factors influencing browsing activities are empirically examined. Acombination of interviews and shopping trips with informants to examine the issues are used. The results showthat browsing serves both functional and recreational purposes. Consumers vary by the degree to which theybrowse functionally or recreationally. Browsing behaviors are influenced by both consumer characteristics andthe retail environment. Browsing is a powerful consumer information acquisition activity and has both desiredand undesired consequences for consumer purchases. Consumers use various strategies to cope with theundesired consequences. Exploration of browsing patterns and factors influencing these patterns suggestsimportant managerial implications for enhancing desirable browsing and reducing unnecessary browsing. Theconceptualization and findings of this research contribute to two areas of research: consumer informationsearch and consumer shopping behaviors in retail environments. An examination of the role of browsing offersan empirical extension to the information acquisition framework. Full text: Browsing is a common human behavior in everyday life. For example, people browse newspapers tosee what is new, go window-shopping, look for materials in the library, and scan television channels. Browsinghas long been recognized as an integral part of consumer information acquisition ([5] Bloch et al. , 1989).Consumer browsing is also a major activity in the retail environment, and it may have a considerable effect onstore traffic and sales ([43] Bloch et al ., 1994; [30] Underhill, 1999). However, there has been little systematicstudy of the concept of browsing ([18] Kwasnik, 1992). Using a combination of qualitative interviews andshopping trips with consumers, this research examines consumer browsing experiences, factors influencingbrowsing activities, and the impact of browsing on consumer purchases. In the following, an overview ofbrowsing behaviors and summarized literature on browsing, shopping, and the retail environment is provided. A brief overview of browsing behaviors [5] Bloch et al. (1989) defined browsing as ongoing information search activity that is not associated with animmediate purchase task. [16] Jarboe and McDaniel (1987) also pointed out that browsing basically is shoppingbehavior that is not directly motivated by a purchasing intent. Browsing can be simply recreational window-shopping or a way of gathering information to be used later. In library science studies, browsing is described as different types of "looking" activities for which initial searchcriteria are only partly defined ([8] Cove and Walsh, 1987). It can simply mean glances in a casual way ([40]Bankapur, 1988). In computerized information systems, browsing tends to be defined as an activity intended tounderstand the information environment, and an alternative or the prelude to a more structured search.Browsing is used to answer the question "what's there?" without involving a higher level of informationprocessing and integration ([28] Spence, 1999). Definitions from various fields indicate that browsing can serveboth functional and recreational purposes. This conclusion is consistent with research on consumer shopping ingeneral. Browsing is an inherent part of shopping, which can be both work and fun (e.g. [2] Babin et al. , 1994). Few research studies have examined the factors influencing browsing. [16] Jarboe and McDaniel (1987)created an index of browsing to characterize browsers and non-browsers in shopping malls. They found thatbrowsers tend to be employed females, somewhat downscale compared to other mall patrons, having lowerlevels of education and income. They tend to be younger than non-browsers and to have a larger family size.Browsers have high brand awareness. They exhibit a greater level of self-confidence, social extroversion,

tension and enthusiasm. However, demographic and personality factors do not reveal consumers' browsingexperiences and do not factor in the influence of the shopping environment. Browsing, shopping, and retail environments There has been little literature on consumer browsing patterns per se . However, since browsing is part ofshopping, research on shopping patterns may shed some light on consumer browsing experiences. Consumersshop for different purposes ([44] Tauber, 1972), and shopping is both work and fun ([2] Babin et al. , 1994).Early research has demonstrated the difference between economic shoppers and recreational shoppers ([41]Bellenger and Korgaonker, 1980; [42] Bellenger et al ., 1977). Economic shoppers tend to be driven by taskshopping motives, and recreational shoppers tend to be driven by non-task shopping motives. The two motivesdifferentially influence the type of consumer interests, attention and time allocation in shopping. [29] Titus and Everett (1995) developed a consumer retail search process consisting of a functional strategyand a hedonic strategy; these strategies correspond to the two identified shopping motives. A functionalstrategy is characterized by walking fast in a linear path, making few stops, spending little time looking atshelves, quickly handling the searched products, and leaving the store. A hedonic strategy is characterized bywalking slowly, make many long stops and examining numerous products, and taking a complex path thatcovers the entire store. Drawing from research on consumer shopping, I propose that browsing can help consumers achieve functionalneeds such as locating a target product, obtaining a specific piece of information, or getting familiar with thelayout of a store. In functional browsing, browsing is a means to an end. Many times it serves the function ofinformation acquisition, and browsing is dynamically intertwined with searching. On the other hand, browsingcan be an end in itself. When consumers window-shop, are attracted to some products that they are interestedin although not intending to buy, or flip through a catalog just to keep themselves informed of the latest fashiontrends, browsing becomes a recreational activity. Whether consumers buy or not, this type of browsing offersconsumers a form of entertainment. Further, it is proposed that browsing motives and patterns depend on both consumer characteristics (e.g.internal motivations) and the external shopping environment. The browsing index of [16] Jarboe and McDaniel(1987) suggested some internal influences including consumers' personality traits. They compared browsersand non-browsers with [41] Bellenger and Korgaonker's (1980) topology of economic versus recreationalshoppers and concluded that browsers can fit into both categories. Hence, instead of being purely functional orpurely recreational browsers, I expect that consumers browse for multiple purposes; the difference will be thedegree to which they browse functionally or recreationally and their experiences with browsing. While internal motivations drive browsing goals, consumers' browsing activities and browsing experiences canbe greatly influenced by the retail shopping environment. Although little empirical research has addressedconsumer browsing behaviors and the influence of retail environments, there has been plenty of research on theinfluence of the retail environment on general shopping behaviors. For example, research has shown that goodretail displays encourage consumers to browse and lead to increased sales ([30] Underhill, 1999). On the otherhand, ill-designed floor layouts or product displays may force consumers to browse in order to find a desiredproduct ([9] d'Astous, 2000). In addition, research has also suggested that a store layout influences consumerinformation processing, development of a cognitive map, and finding targets in the store ([12] Hackett et al. ,1993). Natural stimuli such as color (e.g. [3] Bellizzi et al. , 1983), background music (e.g. [45] Yalch andSpangenberg, 1993), and odor (e.g. [27] Spangenberg et al. , 1996) have also been studied. Results haveindicated that these factors generally influence consumer behaviors subliminally through consumers' moodstates. [11] Donovan et al . (1994) found that shoppers who experienced pleasure in the shopping environmentspent more time in the store, spent more money on total purchases, and showed a greater desire tocommunicate with the store staff. Some social factors such as retail crowding (e.g. [15] Hui and Bateson, 1991) have also been studied. Results

showed that store density led to perceived crowdedness, which had a negative effect on consumer affect andshopping experiences. Finally, shopping in a traditional retail store involves a navigation strategy - physicallymoving around and searching for or looking at products. [29] Titus and Everett (1995) suggested thatconsumers' perceptions of "environmental legibility" and "stimulation" influence their selection of navigationstrategies in the store. Environmental legibility is defined as the extent to which the environmental design allowspeople to extract and comprehend relevant information about the environment. Stimulation refers to the level ofsensory stimulation provided by the environment. Since retail environments differ in terms of theseconfigurations, navigation strategies may differ. In summary, research has long demonstrated that the retail environment influences consumer behaviors ([21]Markin et al. , 1976). A shopping environment provides a combination of various external stimuli that influenceconsumers' behaviors. Although these studies did not address the issue of browsing per se , browsing is part ofshopping activities. Consumers search for information and/or just browse while they move around in the store.How consumers browse in a store and what information is acquired may depend on how consumers interactwith the specific retail environment. Finally, although browsing is conceptualized as information acquisitionwithout purchase intent, browsing may nevertheless lead to purchases, directly or indirectly. Overall, browsing may mean different things to different consumers. It can be entertaining for some consumersbut could become work for others. It can be driven by consumers' inherent motivation to browse and/or inducedby the shopping environment. The review of literature shows that no previous research has specificallyexamined the consumer browsing process and experiences across different retail outlets ([4] Bloch and Richins,1983; [16] Jarboe and McDaniel, 1987). In this research, the focus is on consumer browsing experiences andexamine factors influencing browsing patterns and activities across different retail outlets. Methodology In-depth interviews together with accompanied shopping trips with informants were used. Twelve informantswere recruited in a mid-sized city in Midwest USA through e-mail newsgroups and store postings. Informantswere balanced by gender, with ages ranging from 20s to 50s. Each informant went through a 30-40 minuteinterview session. Interviews were constructed following [20] McCracken (1988). During the interview,informants were asked to explain what browsing means to them and their browsing habits. Then, they wereasked to recall one of their recent shopping trips and to describe all aspects of the shopping trip includingbrowsing activities. They were asked when, where, and how they browse, and the influences of browsing ontheir shopping activities. Eight of the 12 informants agreed to be accompanied on their shopping trips after thefirst interview. The researcher accompanied each of the eight informants on one or two shopping trips. Theresearcher observed informants' shopping behaviors unobtrusively while taking field notes. A 30-40 minutefollow-up interview was conducted after each shopping trip. The follow-up interview focused on that specific trip.After asking informants to recall the particular shopping trip, the interviewer questioned how and why theybrowsed in a certain way based on the field notes. The author conducted all the interviews and shopping tripobservations. The method of combining interview and shopping trip has been used in previous research ([23]Otnes et al. , 1995). This method is particularly beneficial to this research since combining interviews andshopping trips can provide information not only on how informants browse, but also why they browse in aspecific way. The profiles of the participants are presented in Table I [Figure omitted. See Article Image.]. Analysis and findings All interviews were recorded and then transcribed. After each shopping trip, I explored browsing strategies andpatterns used in the shopping trips. Questions that emerged from the shopping trips were further pursued in thefollow-up interviews. Coding of the transcripts was guided by the research questions pursued and the data itself.For shopping trips, informants' activities, including both physical movements in the store and major eye/headmovements were coded. Informants' browsing strategies/patterns were coded. In addition, special store settingsand situations during shopping trips were coded. During interviews, informants' accounts of their motivations,

familiarity and attitude toward the store, feelings, and thoughts associated with browsing were also coded. To identify patterns and themes in the data, the guidelines ([20] McCracken, 1988) were followed, sensitive toboth potential patterns revealed by the literature review and potential unexpected patterns revealed by the data.The findings were organized in three parts. First, to illustrate what browsing means to consumers. Next, toexplore different browsing experiences and factors influencing these experiences. Finally, to discuss theconsequences of browsing for ultimate purchases and consumers' coping strategies with these consequences. Consumer interpretation of browsing First, although browsing has been defined as information search without a purchase intention ([5] Bloch et al. ,1989), consumers do not clearly separate browsing from purchase intentions. Second, browsing does notmerely serve as an informal information search activity. Browsing helps to accumulate market as well asproduct knowledge and prepare consumers for potential purchases, yet at the same time, it is casual, fun,exciting, relaxing, and it helps to kill time. Hence, browsing is both recreational and functional. Most participantsrecognize the two different purposes of browsing although they do not necessarily do both in their own browsingactivities: If I am looking for a shirt, I don't know what kind exactly so I browse the color and style. But there's alsobrowsing where I am just looking for fun, I don't have intention to buy anything. So it goes either way. But youknow, my husband and I don't browse very often without intent to buy. This is not pleasurable time (Stefanie). Similar to Stefanie, most participants pointed out the multifaceted nature of browsing but indicated that someaspects of browsing are more important to them than others. For example, Diane emphasized the recreationalaspect of browsing; Amy saw browsing primarily as a prelude to targeted searching, while Eileen emphasizedthe role of browsing as keeping up with the trends. [Browsing is] Just looking around, not necessarily with the goal of purchasing something, getting something,ending up somewhere, but just wandering around, to see if anything catches your eyes or to see if anything isinteresting (Diane). Browsing is, basically, I don't know what I want and have to look around, see different things, and think. Forexample, if I want to buy a shirt but don't know what kind of shirt I want, I probably will go to one store, toanother, then another, look around, and think about it (Amy). To me, [browsing is] just looking, window shopping, not really tapping anything, just wandering, or just to seewhat's going on (Eileen). Data showed that participants exhibited different degrees of browsing for different purposes. I observed bothfunctional and hedonic browsing. As expected, the functional - hedonic dichotomy is overly simplistic becausemany consumers shop with both motivations at the same time. Different shopping motivations could result in thesame shopping patterns, and the same shopping behaviors could be driven by either motive. Hence, Icategorize consumers into three different groups based on their browsing experiences. Next, I will describethese three categories and the browsing experiences and forces that shape these browsing behaviors in eachcategory. Consumer browsing experiences The addicted browser. The addicted browsers browse as long as they have time in a variety of retail settings.They are internally motivated although also influenced by the shopping environment. At a closer examination,two types of addicted browsers were identified: one is driven by the browsing experiences, and one is driven bythe goal of finding bargains. First, the experience seekers are inherent and intrinsic browsers. They browse whenever they can, and theyeven try to find time to browse. Browsing makes them happy. For experience seekers, browsing means merelylooking around and is not necessarily associated with purchase. They intrinsically enjoy browsing and immersethemselves in the browsing experience. Among the informants, Gina is a typical experience seeker: I guess [browsing means] just looking at things and I don't have the intention to buy. Just to look at them,

experience them, but not necessarily purchase them (Gina). Shopping and browsing make experience seekers excited. They are internally motivated to browse and excitedwhenever there is a chance to browse and shop. For example, when describing a trip to a mall, Gina expressedhow excited she was even before getting to the mall: We really pushed ourselves because they are going to close at 5. So, it was a big rush to see everything by 5o'clock. We feel really pressured and we knew that by 5 o'clock we really need to go, sit somewhere and relax.We really didn't buy that much ... but were just excited to see those things, things we can't afford, things wewould like to afford. I think we just want to be there and look (Gina). For experience seekers, the most important goal is not to buy, but to experience the excitement of looking at theappealing merchandise. For example, Gina went to a Laura Ashley store. She bought a bottle of room spray butspent a long time in the store. I probably spent, yeah, almost one hour in that store, and I bought one Ashley spray. You know I didn't buy oneitem for that long time. But I looked at everything. Even pieces of clothing that wouldn't look good on me, I stillwanted to look at them, I still wanted to feel them ... I went to the back, and at the back, they have baby clothes.I don't even have children, but I probably spent at least 20 minutes because the clothes are so beautiful. It isjust so sweet and beautiful (Gina). Because what matters to experience seekers is experience, they are sensitive to various stimulations in theshopping environment. A store environment that offers a higher level of stimulation is attractive to them, henceinducing browsing behaviors: When I was standing outside [the Laura Ashley store] and looking at the window, it was kind of relaxing. Youare like "yeah, this feels really familiar and you want to get in" ... We walked in, and you know the store catchesyou and the music catches you. The people attract you because they wear those [brand of] clothes ...Everything is so great in that particular store (Gina). Different stores serve different functions and offer different levels of simulation. Typically, consumers are morelikely to browse in one type of store than another. For example, gift stores, crafts stores, and specialty storesserve primarily hedonic purposes, while grocery stores serve primarily functional needs. Consumers may findbrowsing more interesting in the former rather than the latter. However, the experience seekers, due to theirstrong internal motivation to browse, tend to browse in any type of store: If I know that I have time, even if I don't have time, even from my lunch hour, even for a hardware store that Ihave never had interest in, I would somehow find a reason to look at things. Once I'm there, because I entered[the store] by chance or something like that, once I'm there, I'm like "oh, stuffs are cool. Look at those hammersthat I don't have in my house." You know these are the things I wouldn't intentionally buy myself, but I am at thehardware store and there are these big aisles with little things and I really like to look at them. I'll almost be late[for work], because I'm looking at things, things that I don't even need or want (Gina). However, certain store elements can also turn the experience seekers off. These elements may include lack ofstimulation, poor store layout, noise level, crowding, and the presence of other shoppers, which make it difficultfor browsers to enjoy themselves. For example, Gina talked about her grocery shopping experience in Aldi andWal-Mart. Although both are grocery stores, she had different browsing experiences due to differences in thestore environments: There's not anything really interesting to look at [in Aldi]. The food never changes. For every once a while, theyadd something, but not very often. So it's always the same thing. Whereas at Walmart, they put the Harry Potterbooks at the front the other day. So I think "oh, look at Harry Potter there, look at that, they brought differentthings." At the July 4th, they have the Fourth of July bakery. Though I don't even eat sugar, but I looked at thoseand those were interesting. [In Aldi] Their aisles are not small, but they feel small. There's always a large familyof people trying to look at everything. I don't like it, it just feels small there. It's always so busy and crowded, soloud. It's just very uncomfortable going around people. And people are rude there ... Then I am like "oh, I just

want to get my stuff and leave". So, I always have a list [when shopping in Aldi]. I know exactly what I'm buyingin that store ... even if it's busy, I can usually get through in 10 minutes. Once I get to Wal-Mart, I really have toforce myself to be as structured as I was. But I will still almost always go that way, and just kind of look, just see,even if I can't afford anything. It takes at least half an hour to get through Wal-Mart (Gina). Second, the bargain hunters/information seekers also intrinsically enjoy browsing and browse whenever theycan. However, they also browse with a mission. They gather information, monitor prices, and try to develop athorough understanding of the market, stores, and brands. Their enjoyment of browsing is primarily derived fromthe ability to get purchase ideas, to find good deals, and to know they get their money's worth when it comes topurchasing: I go to the music section in the bookstore. Not that I want to buy them, but I can check out what are the newsongs out there, just in case when people ask me. Like when my mom checks with me for Christmas gift ideas, Ican give her some hints on what I like (Amy). Usually when I buy things, I am pretty good about things like how much money I'll spend. I don't have that muchor at least I'm a person who's thrifty, I like to keep what I earned. So I try to find the best deals, I'll look around,and then I just go and compare prices, even if that takes time (Eileen). Eileen is a typical bargain hunter and information seeker. Talking about a recent purchase of a pair of shoes,she said that she had been looking for over a year and half until she finally bought the shoes. During the trip tobuy the shoes, she browsed other merchandise, which potentially will prepare her for the next purchase: I went to the mall to buy the shoes. I also went looking around because Mother's Day is coming so I was lookingaround and then just try to see if there's any clothes that my mom would love. I am also looking at summershoes and actually I have been looking online too. I look around to see if there is something that I would like"Oh, I want it" (Eileen). Similar to experience seekers, bargain hunters/information seekers browse in various types of retail settings.Eileen showed similar browsing motivations and patterns when shopping in a grocery store and shopping in themall. During the grocery shopping trip, she walked through most of the aisles in the store although she did notbuy anything from many aisles. She later explained why she went through the detergent aisle although she hadno intention to buy anything from that aisle: I'll try to see what's going on and what's new on the market. I wanted to check it out. I am interested in the drycleaning kit. Of course I also wanted to get to the other side (of the aisle). It is convenient. So I just want to seewhat's new, so that next time if I want a certain thing I can get it. That is basically why I went through thedetergent aisle (Eileen). Browsing is a habit for bargain hunters/information seekers as well as for experience seekers. However, theexcitement and joy comes more from knowing what to buy and getting a good deal instead of the browsingexperience itself. Hence, bargain hunters/information seekers are less sensitive to external stimuli such asvarious shopping environment. They lack the excitement that experience seekers have when it comes toshopping and browsing. During the interviews, they rarely mentioned the influence of any particular elements ofthe retail environment. The balanced browser. The second major category identified is the balanced browser. To the balanced browser,browsing is functional as well as hedonic. Browsing is necessary for becoming familiar with a new store or forlooking for a bargain. Browsing can also be fun when it concerns their favorite stores or type of products.However, these consumers also realize that browsing takes effort and time, so they want to achieve a balance.They try to minimize functional browsing and make sure that they do not browse excessively for fun either. Themajority of participants in the study belong to this group. For example, Jason likes cooking so he browses ingrocery stores. However, he also makes sure that his time and energy spent on browsing are not excessive, sohe goes only to one grocery store where he is familiar with the layout instead of visiting multiple stores: I like it [browsing] because I like cooking, so I am sort of thinking about what I will make when I am walking

around. I go at odd times when no one is busy there. I used to shop just at one store, usually at Schnuks(Jason). Balanced browsers enjoy browsing but are more selective than experience seekers and bargain hunters. Suchselectivity is based on both their personal interest and the type of stores. They browse mostly their favoriteproducts in their favorite stores. First, whether they browse for functional or recreational purposes dependssomewhat on the type of store. Many participants noted the differences in browsing activities between grocerystore or discount store shopping and other department or specialty store shopping: I don't go to Wal-Mart and browse in Wal-Mart, or go to Target and browse in Target. Usually when I go toTarget or Wal-Mart I do have certain things that I want to buy. But when I go to a store in the Market Place Mall,I do [browse]. These are the stores I like to browse in, to see what the trend is there. I think when we go to Wal-Mart or Target, we have defined things to buy. I don't think we are necessarily browsing. When we go to Wal-Mart, I know I need to buy a light bulb, to buy whatever, so there is no real need for browsing. I know I want tobuy this. But when we go to the mall, I know I have to buy clothes, but there are so many different types ofclothes, you really don't know what type, what kind you need. I think that's why elements of browsing are reallynecessary to pick out things you really want. It is not just like a light bulb. It's something different than that. Wejust don't go to Wal-Mart or Target just for the heck of it. There is a reason why we go there. But when I go withmy friend to the mall, when we browse, there might be no purpose to it. We might not need clothes. That's whatI am trying to get at. When I go there, I might not need any clothes at all, but I still buy one or two, a pair ofpants, a shirt, and things like that (Jeremiah). When it comes to hedonic browsing, customers tend to have their favorite stores and they try to limit theirbrowsing to those stores so it is more manageable. For example, Jason indicated that he goes to BananaRepublic about twice a year and T.J. Maxx about once or twice a month. These stores satisfied his desire forrecreational browsing: I probably would go there [T.J. Maxx] maybe once or twice a month. So I have pretty good ideas of stuff there,like suitcases. If I want to get a new suitcase, I would go there, because they have pretty nice suitcases. I go toBanana Republic maybe twice a year. And so, you know when you are going everything is different, becausethe store is in different season. And so when I go in, I just look at the new selection, look at all the clothes andlook at the styles. It's also because I try to be stylish. Sometimes I am concerned to buy, sometimes I am not.So browsing to me is sort of like exploring what is the offer, taking a range of options open to you (Jason). Balanced browsers occasionally show the same excitement as experience seekers, but only for certain types ofproducts. Hobbies are a major trigger that gets balanced browsers to browse passionately. For example,Maggie loves Coca-Cola paraphernalia, and Eric browses electronic products whenever he gets a chance: Everything related to Coca-Cola will catch my attention. I collect those. I go to the Coca-Cola store on the weband I even bought some items through auctions. I can look at that stuff for hours (Maggie). [I browse] electronic products. I've been doing this since I was a kid as a hobby. And then I went to school, andworked on it almost through my life. I'm all the time looking for electronic products and various parts becausethat's the thing I'm interested in (Eric). Balanced browsers try to achieve a balance between seeking stimulation and seeking efficiency. For them,each shopping trip usually means a mixture of functional and recreational browsing. They rarely go shoppingonly for recreational purposes, but once they have achieved their purchase goals, they turn to someunstructured browsing: I have a basic idea of what I wanted. I knew I have to get my Tylenol, I knew I have to get my glasses, but I alsowant to see a little bit of clothes, and a little bit of the linens and so on ... when I do that I get an idea of how canI decorate my own house. And I see new color patterns, and I like things with color in it. So I like looking at them(Maggie). Balanced browsers are attracted by at least a moderate level of store stimuli such as unique decorations or

displays in conjunction with special occasions: In the mall, I usually like to walk around, especially in this Christmas season, and see the little things. They setup in the middle, you know, crafts or T-shirts, things like that (Maggie). Balanced browsers are also sensitive to factors that inhibit efficient functional browsing. They dislike retailcrowding. To be efficient, they shop at stores that they are familiar with, and they choose stores that have alayout that they can effectively manage. They develop shopping routines for functional shopping and use thehelp of store staff to minimize functional browsing: If there is something specific that I'm looking for, and I don't know where it is, I ask right away, because I don'twant to wander around the whole store looking for it. And there are a lot of stores where they have the greetersor whatever they are called, then you consider whether to ask. But this time, we knew what we wanted, and Ijust wanted to get there, get it over, and not being distracted. Because Wal-Mart is really big, it's a huge storeand I couldn't wander (Diane). If I have been there, I am more familiar with the arrangements of the shelves. I can just go directly to theshelves I need. If I go to a new store, I probably have to get familiar with the arrangements of the store bylooking around and wandering around. And, that takes time. So I usually go to a place I am familiar with, unlessthat bookstore does not carry the book I am interested in (Jeremiah). The reluctant browser. Reluctant browsers browse the least. For reluctant browsers, shopping and browsingonly serve functional purposes. These shoppers only browse when it is necessary, and browsing primarilyserves the purpose of purchasing what they need. They do not enjoy browsing, and they want to be as efficientas possible. Among the informants, Victoria, Denis, and Stefanie are typical reluctant browsers. Browsing is just going in and looking. I do that as little as possible. I usually have the purpose and intentionwhen I go to the store, unless I go with a friend. I don't just go window shopping anymore (Victoria). If I can just sit at home, and have everything brought to me, sure I would do that. I try to maximize my efficiencyin each store (Stefanie). I don't enjoy shopping for no reason. It's not necessarily a leisure activity for me. If I want to escape or dosomething fun, [I will] read a book or go to a movie or take a walk or something like that. I see browsing as autilitarian activity. So, if there's something I'm in the market for, I'll go to the retailer, and I'll ask questions. It'snot like if I'm bored or it's Saturday afternoon and I'll go to a store, and look around and see what they have(Denis). For reluctant browsers, browsing is a task and is a means to achieve an end (i.e. purchases). While experienceseekers tend to browse in all kinds of stores, reluctant browsers typically do not find any type of storesattractive. To them, shopping is work, and there is not much fun in browsing. It is a good experience only whenbrowsing helps to achieve their purchase goals. Hence, they do not enjoy a store environment that offers a high level of stimulation such as fancy displays,noise or crowds: I don't really like the mall very much, to be honest. I don't know what it is, it's seems very loud inside, it seems alittle bit chaotic (Denis). They put more in the same space. And you feel like if you turn around, you will knock into something. They arejust too crowded. I just don't go because I feel too crammed in the store. I'll leave the store if there were toomany people. I just leave my cart and come back later. I prefer to shop when it's not really crowded (Victoria). Shopping or browsing routines are very important to reluctant browsers because routines enhance efficiency.Therefore, they want to stick to their routines and do not like stores that frequently change layout or shelfdisplays: I don't like stores changing layout because it takes more time for me. I know where to go to get an item. If theyare at the same place, I can just walk to that place. When you constantly change it around, then it takes memore time. It's frustrating to find things that way (Victoria).

The changing faces of browsers In this research, I found that browsing patterns and behaviors of the three categories of browsers outlinedabove are relatively stable. However, I also found situational variations due to external factors or somepermanent changes that take place during the life cycles of consumers. One factor that causes temporarychanges in browsing behavior is shopping companions, especially for balanced browsers. Shoppingcompanions can either promote or constrain the individual's regular browsing pattern. On one hand, shoppingcompanions make browsing and shopping a social event, hence more recreational: [Browsing] is fun. It is something I usually will not do on my own. I usually go with my buddies, or my mom. Welook at things, try things on and give opinions to each other and laugh at it. Sometimes I go shopping with mybuddies. We look at clothes and find out what's new out there. A lot of times we end up not buying anything.Just get to know the new things that come out, you know, window shopping (Amy). On the other hand, when shopping with a reluctant browser, balanced browsers will curb their browsingactivities: I don't browse when I shop with my husband. He doesn't really tolerate it because he doesn't have the patience.He is like "hey, why don't you buy the stuff and let's get out of here" (Diane). For experience seekers and reluctant browsers, the influence of shopping companions is less prominentbecause addicted browsers can always find something interesting to browse, while reluctant browsers do nottolerate too much browsing. For example, Gina went into a Ralph Lauren store because her friend wanted to.Although she knew she would not buy anything there, she still spent time browsing and had a good time: The size at Ralph Lauren is little bigger than the normal size. I wear about 18 so most of the clothes I reallycan't fit into. So I didn't really focus on the clothes. But again when I walked in, just being in the store wasexciting. Just seeing these clothes, just watching the people and what they were buying (Gina). Browsing behaviors also change over consumers' life cycles. It is observed that the addicted browsers tend tobe younger, while reluctant browsers tend to be older. However, most of the reluctant browsers commented thatthey used to browse more and explained how their previous behavior had changed. Consumer demographics,such as age, income, and marital status, as well as personalities change over the life span. These changesexert influence on consumers' browsing patterns and experiences: When I was younger, I browsed and I was looking. Like going to the mall and looking through the clothes,through all the records, just looking at everything there. But now, I pretty much have certain purpose when I gosome place. I could put on my blinder and bypass everything else (Victoria). When I was in college, I used to shop for clothes, stuff like that. I didn't mind doing it. I don't find those thingspleasing any more. My character changed a lot (Stefanie). Similarly, some experience seekers become more balanced browsers over time, such as Maggie: I used to shop a lot more. I used to make a lot more money than I do now. I would do a lot more shopping andend up buying a lot more stuff that was kind of useless. You know, with my tight budget now, I have to becareful of what I do now (Maggie). Browsing and purchases Although browsing is conceptually defined as activity without purchase intents, this research showed variouslinkages between browsing and purchase. Browsing leads to direct and indirect, planned and unplanned, aswell as impulsive purchases. Data showed that different browsing patterns are associated with differentpurchasing consequences. Consumers experience different emotions with these browsing consequences anddevelop various coping strategies. First, while browsing for experience seekers is hedonic in nature and purchasing is not the major incentive forbrowsing, they do often end up with purchases. Such purchases are typically impulsive purchases. An impulsivepurchase is defined as an unplanned purchase that is subjectively biased toward immediate possession, whichis accompanied by relatively rapid decision making ([25] Rook and Gardner, 1993). It is usually characterized by

higher emotional involvement and the urge to buy when consumers see a product. For example, Gina enjoyedbrowsing in the Laura Ashley store and developed the urge to buy something although she did not plan to buy.The store environment and the excitement experienced at the time drove her to make the purchase: When I was in the Ashley store, I thought if I didn't buy something, didn't leave with something, I just wasted thetrip. I feel like I had to buy something and take home ... I bought actually room spray for $11. You know, I canbuy room spray at Target for $3. But it's really important to me that I bought this $11 room spray. The price inthat store is really high, and within that environment $11 is really cheap. When everything in the store is $100and $50, if you see $11, you would think "oh, this is a bargain" and then when I'm in the car back home, I can'tbelieve I just bought an $11 room spray (Gina). Impulsive purchase is usually not based on rational and careful thinking, and little thought is given to thepotential negative consequences of the purchase ([14] Hoch and Loewenstein, 1991). Therefore, impulsivepurchases tend to be associated with regret or other negative feelings afterwards, as shown with Gina'spurchase. To cope with impulsive purchases, experience seekers tried to limit browsing and the effect ofbrowsing on purchases. Gina tried to control herself and developed several coping strategies such as shoppingwith a list or buying frozen food first to make herself hurry up. However, the desire to browse versus the needfor self-control is a constant struggle for her: Last week, I shouldn't have bought things that are not on my list, like the muffins, those fat free chocolatemuffins. I end up "oh, because they are fat free and they are my diet, so I could buy". This is not something thatis on my list, but you know, they were $2.50. They were at a different place where you would not normally findmuffins. They were back by the milk. I had to buy milk, but I just saw there was muffin there. See, I was reallygood that I wouldn't go to the bakery section, but then I still saw these muffins, so I ended up buying them(Gina). Second, browsing activities for bargain hunters/information seekers like Eileen are also closely related topurchases. However, compared to experience seekers, bargain hunters/information seekers are more rationalin their purchases. Even when they seemingly make unplanned purchases, these purchases were usually notimpulsive and are not associated with negative emotions. For example, on a grocery shopping trip with Eileen, Iobserved her picking up some White Castle hamburgers which were not on her list. During the interview sherevealed the rationale for the purchase: [The White Castle is] something that happened by accident. When I was looking at the Hot Pockets, I saw WhiteCastle, I know White Castle has frozen burgers, which is as good as those in actual restaurants, but sometimesin grocery stores, there's no White Castle brand, so I decided to pick up a box since it was $3. That's how I gofor it. It's just by accident, but it's also something that I was kind of looking for too (Eileen). Although bargain hunters/information seekers are also concerned about browsing too much, they do not havestrong negative emotions associated with their browsing and purchases. In addition, it seems easier for them tocontrol their browsing activities than it is for experience seekers: I will go aisle by aisle. If I'm in something like the candy aisle, I'll skip over it. Because I love candy, so I try toskip over the candy (Eileen). Third, balanced browsers do not browse extensively, and their browsing serves both functional and recreationalpurposes. Most of them go shopping with a purchase intention. Functional browsing helps them to locate theproduct or help to determine a formal information search strategy, hence directly or indirectly leading topurchases: When I know I'm looking for something, it's pretty much the only time I go to a store. When I go shopping, Iexpect to spend money. In general, when I go to a store, I just walk in, look around, and if something doesn'tcatch my eye immediately, I'll just leave. If it's not an immediate attraction, I'll just forget about it. So I'll just gosomewhere else (Eric). In addition, balanced browsers also browse for fun, especially after they fulfill their goal-directed purchase tasks.

While they browse, they may find bargains or catch something that they think they may need, hence directlyleading to purchases: I go in and get whatever, basically, milk, eggs, bread. And I'll go and look at the special aisle to see what's onsale. That's just interesting. I really enjoy getting out of the store and knowing that it saved me a buck. I feelreally good (Eric). I figured that I would find something to buy. They had a lot of stuff, especially like frames. I tried to find cheapbut nice things. So I figured out if I look around, I would probably buy something. That's why I went [with myneighbor to T.J. Maxx], because I know they have nice and cheap house stuff (Jason). For balanced browsers, the most important criterion is to achieve a balance between being able to enjoythemselves and finding bargains through browsing, and not spending too much time and energy on it. Theysometimes feel they browse too much when they end up with many unplanned purchases. For example, Ericcomplained about his grocery shopping: I find that I spend more money there than I want to because I always see something that I think I need. So itnever ends up being a simple shopping trip when I put three or four things on the list. I put three or four thingson the list, and end up with 12. That's not a problem with Meijer (a grocery store), that's a problem with me(Eric). But balanced browsers usually are able to control themselves. To achieve the balance, they apply strategiessuch as limiting the stores they shop at, sticking to their shopping routines to be more efficient, or staying brand-loyal: If I see something good I usually can't get myself to forget it. So I try not to spend too much time. Like I don't godown the snacks aisle every time, I don't go down the cereal aisle. Usually I just stick to what I want. The oneaisle I will browse is the wine aisle, I'll see if they have any wine on sale. Maybe I'll browse the seafood to see ifthey have anything really cheap (Jason). Finally, reluctant browsers do not enjoy browsing. They typically will not browse except when they have to.Hence, browsing is purely for functional purposes, and it is always associated with purchases. Browsing is onlya means to an end. Therefore, for reluctant browsers, the most important objective is to maximize efficiency andreduce unnecessary browsing. To cope with this issue, they devised many strategies. For example, Jeremiahonly visited familiar stores: If I have been there, I am more familiar with the arrangements of the shelves; I can just go directly to theshelves. If I go to a new store, I probably have to get familiar with the arrangement of the store by lookingaround and wandering around. And, that takes time. So I usually go to a place I am familiar with, unless thatbookstore does not carry the book I am interested in (Jeremiah). Stefanie stays brand-loyal: My tennis shoes for example, there's a certain kind of shoe I want. You know, they feel good on my foot, and soI go buy that one. Because I haven't had in love with any other brand (Stefanie). Victoria used a list when shopping, intentionally chose stores that have fewer product choices, and shopped byphone when possible instead of going to the stores: First I'll make a general list. I always take a list, unless there's just one thing I need. If there are two things, I'lltake a list. I shop at small local stores because they don't have so many brands as the supermarket. It's quicker.I can go in and pick up what I want because it's not as many choices (Victoria). However, even reluctant browsers do a substantial amount of browsing, but in an efficient way. For example,Denis described himself as a grab-and-go type of shopper and tried to minimize his time in the store. I observedhim grab a pair of shorts while shopping at Sam's Club. However, while talking about buying the shorts duringthe interview, he revealed that it is not as simple as grab-and-go: They had them [the shorts] there for a while. I noticed them. It's like maybe a month or so. And I think I fairlynoticed that they were on sale. I also noticed at home that couple of shorts that I had developed some holes. I

had them for several years, [they were] probably ready to go. So that was kind of what was really driving thatpurchase. I think I probably saw [them] on sale first, and then I notice at home that I can actually use a pair ofshorts (Denis). He further explained how he browsed efficiently, trying to minimize the time and effort spent while acquiringsufficient purchase information: While during each trip, I probably don't spend very much time browsing, but if you add up, like all the browsing Idid during shopping trips, it ends up to a lot of time. Rather than spending a block of time just going and looking,I'll try to look while I'm doing something else. Try to be as efficient as possible, maximize what I get during thetime I spend on shopping for other things. Like the shorts, for example. There're a lot of other items in Sam's,too. From time to time, they had like a set of lights and the laundry hamper. We needed something like that. Welooked around, and after we saw them there in a month or so, we bought them. I don't spend a lot of timebrowsing. You know I remember what I'm seeing from my previous trip, so I would count that as sort ofbrowsing (Denis). Overall, although browsing is information acquisition without purchase intent, this research showed thatbrowsing has both direct and indirect influences on purchases. Browsing leads to impulse purchases driven byconsumers' motivation to browse and the stimulation of the retail environment. Impulse purchases are typicallyassociated with negative emotions after purchase. Not all unplanned purchases are impulsive. Browsing maystimulate recognition of needs and help consumers develop a desire for a certain product. Seeing a product ondisplay may make consumers realize that it is something that they want. Recognition of the need frequentlyleads to immediate purchase or purchase in the near future although the purchase may not be planned. Browsing also leads to indirect purchase. Obtaining information for a future purchase reference is the mostcommon (indirect) influence browsing has on purchases. While shopping for products that they intend to look forand buy, consumers are also visually attracted to other products. Such browsing may provide ideas andinformation for future purchases. Browsing may also be used as a precursor of searching. In these situations,browsing serves the function of refining consumers' needs and helping them to decide on what product theywould like to purchase. As I illustrated above, the influence of browsing on purchases varies in consumers'browsing experiences depending on their browsing patterns. Conclusion and implications While browsing is common, it has not been studied systematically in marketing. This research contributes to ourunderstanding of browsers and their experiences as well as the impact of browsing on information acquisitionand purchases. First, little research has examined consumers' experiences in browsing. The browsing index of[16] Jarboe and McDaniel (1987) pointed out the influence of psychographic, demographic, and personalityinfluences. In this research, I offer a richer description of browsers based on the examination of theirexperiences. Corresponding to research in consumer shopping experiences, I identified both functional andrecreational browsing. The two browsing motivations co-exist for most consumers. However, consumers vary intheir preferred level of browsing for recreational or functional purposes; hence, their browsing experiencesdiffer. Browsing behavior is a function of both consumer internal forces (i.e. motivations) and external forces (i.e.the retail environment). In addition, the research shows that browsing patterns change over time. Changes in consumer age, maritalstatus, as well as income prompt changes in consumer motivations to browse, therefore altering browsingpatterns and experiences. While the retail environment has long been demonstrated to influence consumers'shopping behaviors, it also influences browsing experiences. However, since many environment stimuli such ascolor, olfactory sensations, and background music have less cognitively dominant influence on behaviors, thesefactors were not mentioned as influences by study participants. These elements combined offer a certain levelof store stimulation. As the results show, addicted browsers and balanced browsers are more attracted by ahigher level of store stimulation than reluctant browsers. Two retail elements that were mentioned by most

participants are store layout and crowding. Changes in store layout could be used to offer a higher level ofstimulation in order to enhance recreational browsing, but at the same time a stable store layout can minimizefunctional browsing and enhance efficiency. Retail stores may analyze their consumer base to gauge consumerneeds. For stores with most repeat and loyal visitors such as grocery stores and drug stores, a stable layoutcould be preferred. For stores with primarily new or infrequent visitors, changes in store layout together with theproducts may offer a higher level of stimulation and encourage browsing. Retail crowding was mentioned by most participants; it consistently has a negative impact on browsing, bothfunctional and recreational. Retail stores may alleviate the negative impact of crowding by carefully monitoringstore traffic. For example, during busy hours, stores can ensure that additional employees are on the floor tohelp customers with specific needs and reduce unnecessary functional browsing. That will leave more space forrecreational browsers. Most of the limited browsers indicated that browsing has a different role in different stores. Hence, managementof store design and store atmosphere should be based on the positioning of the store (i.e. consumers'perception of the function of the store) and the understanding of consumers' needs. For example, grocery anddiscount stores usually serve consumers' functional needs. Factors that facilitate functional browsing such as astable environment and a clear layout may be essential. On the other hand, a recreationally oriented store mayencourage consumers to explore by creating new displays periodically. Research has shown that browsing mayultimately lead to increased sales, although it may not be associated with an immediate purchase ([30]Underhill, 1999). Strategies that encourage browsing may benefit both retailers and consumers in the long run. Second, this research contributes to the understanding of browsing as an integral part of consumer informationacquisition. Existing research on consumer information search usually assumes that consumers know what theywant to buy, thereby focusing on information search in the context of brand-level choices. Researchers havebeen puzzled that consumers do not seem to search for much information although they do make reasonablygood decisions (e.g. [17] Kiel and Layton, 1981). The research on browsing suggests that existing research mayhave only tapped part of consumers' information acquisition activities. For example, Eileen took over a yearpaying attention to shoes every time she went shopping before she finally purchased one pair. By integratingbrowsing with direct information search, the theoretical framework of consumer information acquisition has beenextended. The results show that browsing represents the more casual and less structured way of acquiringinformation and has important effects on purchases. The third contribution is linking browsing with consumer purchases. Although browsing is defined as informationacquisition without purchase intent, this research demonstrates that browsing has an important impact onpurchases, both direct and indirect. Browsing can lead to direct purchases, either impulsive or merelyunplanned. Browsing can lead to a more structured information search or just knowledge accumulation, henceindirectly influencing purchases. Therefore, strategies that encourage browsing may benefit both retailers andconsumers in the long run. Finally, this research is limited to browsing for products in retail settings. Future research may expand to includebrowsing of services. Due to the unique intangible characteristics of services, study of service browsing will bemore challenging. Research in servicescape may offer ideas for extending browsing research to services. Inaddition, since browsing is closely related to searching and purchasing and is an integral part of consumerpurchase and consumption, future research may examine the role of browsing in different consumerconsumption phases. Finally, this research examines browsing behaviors in brick-and-mortar retail contexts,which involves both physical and eye movement. Such browsing may differ from the kind of browsing thatoccurs in online shopping. Future research should explore the similarities and differences in online and offlinebrowsing. References 2. Babin, B.J., Darden, W.R. and Griffin, M. (1994), "Work and/or fun: measuring hedonic and utilitarian

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42. Bellenger, D.N., Robertson, D.H. and Greenburg, B.A. (1977), "Shopping center patronage motives",Journal of Retailing, Vol. 53, pp. 29-38. 43. Bloch, P.H., Ridgway, N.M. and Dawson, S.A. (1994), "The shopping mall as consumer habitat", Journal ofRetailing, Vol. 70 No. 1, pp. 23-42. 44. Tauber, E.M. (1972), "Why do people shop?", Journal of Marketing, Vol. 36, October, pp. 46-59. 45. Yalch, R.F. and Spangenberg, E. (1993), "Using store music for retail zoning: a field experiment", in Kardes,F.R. and Sujan, M. (Eds), Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 20, Association for Consumer Research,Provo, UT, pp. 632-6. Further Reading 1. Abdul-Muhmin, A.G. (1999), "Contingent decision behavior: effect of number of alternatives to be selected onconsumers' decision processes", Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 91-111. 2. Bloch, P.H., Sherrell, D.L. and Ridgway, N.M. (1986), "Consumer search: an extended framework", Journal ofConsumer Research, Vol. 13, June, pp. 119-26. 3. Canter, D., Rivers, R. and Storrs, G. (1985), "Characterizing user navigation through complex datastructures", Behaviour and Information Technology, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 93-102. 4. Dogu, U. and Erkip, F. (2000), "Spatial factors affecting wayfinding and orientation: a case study in ashopping mall", Environment &Behavior, Vol. 32 No. 6, pp. 731-55. 5. Herner, S. (1970), "Browsing", in Kent, A. and Lancour, H. (Eds), Encyclopedia of Library and InformationScience, Vol. 3, Marcel Dekker, New York, NY, pp. 408-15. 6. Lawson, R. (1997), "Consumer decision making within a goal-driven framework", Psychology &Marketing,Vol. 14 No. 5, pp. 427-49. 7. Mathwick, C., Malhotra, N. and Rigdon, E. (2001), "Experiential value: conceptualization, measurement andapplication in the catalog and internet shopping environment", Journal of Retailing, Vol. 77 No. 1, pp. 39-56. 8. Painton, S. and Gentry, J.W. (1985), "Another look at the impact of information presentation format", Journalof Consumer Research, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 240-4. 9. Russell, J.A. and Lanius, U.F. (1982), "Environmental psychology", Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 33,pp. 651-88. 10. Wright, P. (2002), "Marketplace metacognition and social intelligence", Journal of Consumer Research, Vol.28, March, pp. 677-82. 11. Yalch, R.F. and Spangenberg, E. (1990), "Effects of store music on shopping behavior", Journal ofConsumer Marketing, Vol. 7, Spring, pp. 55-63. Appendix About the author Lan Xia holds a PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is an Assistant Professor in theMarketing Department at Bentley University. She is a member of AMA, ACR, and SCP. Her major areas ofresearch include consumer information processing, behavioral pricing, and online consumer behaviors. Herwork has appeared in Journal of Marketing, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal ofInteractive Marketing , and Journal of Product &Brand Management. Lan Xia can be contacted at:lxia@bentley.edu AuthorAffiliation Lan Xia, Department of Marketing, Bentley University, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA Illustration Table I: Summary of informants' information Subject: Studies; Statistical analysis; Retailing industry; Market research; Consumer behavior; Shopping;Qualitative research;

Classification: 9130: Experimental/theoretical; 7100: Market research; 8390: Retailing industry Publication title: Qualitative Market Research Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Pages: 154-173 Publication year: 2010 Publication date: 2010 Year: 2010 Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing, Limited Place of publication: Bradford Country of publication: United Kingdom Publication subject: Business And Economics--Marketing And Purchasing ISSN: 13522752 Source type: Scholarly Journals Language of publication: English Document type: Feature Document feature: References Tables DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13522751011032593 ProQuest document ID: 213410513 Document URL: http://search.proquest.com/docview/213410513?accountid=61315 Copyright: Copyright Emerald Group Publishing Limited 2010 Last updated: 2014-05-21 Database: ProQuest Psychology Journals

BibliographyCitation style: Harvard - British Standard

XIA, L., 2010. An examination of consumer browsing behaviors. Qualitative Market Research, 13(2), pp. 154-173.

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